Hurricanes regularly hit the gulf coast states and cause a tremendous amount of damage each year to the hulls on commercial boats (used for things like fishing, sightseeing, and sea diving activities). This is one reason why hull liability insurance can be so expensive for some commercial boat owners. One way to control the cost of these policies is to institute a "Hurricane Preparedness Plan" that you will use to protect your boat in case a hurricane hits your region. Here are 6 tips on how to develop a plan that can lower the price you pay for a liability policy.

1) You should be able to pull your boat out of the water and be able to transport it away from the immediate shoreline with a short amount of notice. Some boats can be trailered, but if your boat is too big to be trailered, you'll want to be able to mount it on tracks to pull it away from the shore.

2) You should save even more on your premiums if your boat is stored in a storage building that was built to withstand hurricane-force winds while the storm passes by.

3) The boat should be regularly docked in a newer facility that has a dock master that can take action on your behalf to protect and move the boat if you are not around when a hurricane blows into your region.

4) Have a regular maintenance schedule performed on the boat by you or your staff to make sure the boat is ready to move on a moment's notice. The maintenance schedule should include checking things like the bilge pump operation, making sure the seals on the hatches on the boat are secure, and checking that the engine is well-maintained and oiled.

5) Make sure you have a system in place to remove valuable items from the boat as quickly as possible to protect them from getting damaged during the hurricane and from possibly getting stolen from looters after the storm ends.

6) Have someone, like a captain who you have hired to personally take charge of your boat when you are not around, make sure everything goes smoothly when preparing your boat to face a hurricane (remember, a dock master will be able to help, but they will also be trying to help other boat owners at the same time as they are helping you).

The more you do to make sure your boat doesn't get damaged during a hurricane, the more a commercial insurance company will be willing to lower the cost of a hull insurance policy. Talk with a professional, like Hale & Associates Inc, for more information.